05.01.2006

UpRight to close Mexican plant

UpRight informed employees last night that it intends to close its manufacturing plant in Mexico over the next three months. The move comes on the heels of the news that the company is to cease production of its big self propelled booms, once current orders are fulfilled.

The LX range of Rough Terrain scissors is also being phased out, with the company concentrating on electric powered scissor lifts, the AB38, trailer lifts and the Speed Level.

Plans are already well progressed to produce the Speed Level in Ireland with the first two units on test before Christmas, the company says that it expects to have production running within the first quarter
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The three most popular UpRight products, the Speed Level, MX19 and TM12 outside the Dublin plant

The move is also connected to the fact that it is in the process of taking over an extra 4,000 metre building on the site. With the large booms and scissors gone, which were produced exclusively in Mexico, the expanded European plant can more than cope with the worldwide demand for small scissor lifts, particularly with the additional space.
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The main aerial lift production hall at UpRight's Dublin plant has three main assembly lines

Vertikal Comment

When UpRight built its new European production plant, in 2001, part of the agreement with the developer, involved the addition of the second hall at the end of last year. Until now it has been sub rented for storage but has now been cleared for UpRights use. The facility was designed with a connection between the two buildings, allowing the paint line delivery conveyor to be extended into the second building at a later date.

With shipment costs for small scissors being very minor and labour representing only a small percentage of the total machine cost, it makes a great deal more sense to operate one high volume plant than two lower volume facilities.

A visit to the European plant just before Christmas confirmed that UpRight has done a great work on updating its most popular models, the MX19, TM12, X series and Speed Level. If the company puts all its efforts into these machines and its growing alloy tower business, not to mention an increased investment parts and service, it stands a real chance of winning back a respectable share of the powered access market in which it will be competing.